A Comparative study on the main female characters' self liberation in Henrik Ibsen's Adoll's House and Hedda Gabler

S, Yenda Tamara (1997) A Comparative study on the main female characters' self liberation in Henrik Ibsen's Adoll's House and Hedda Gabler. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

Both A Doll's House and Hedda Gabier talk about the position of women in the Victorian period. At that time women lived in a male oriented society in which they had to be submissive to men. Because of their position, they want to seek freedom, equality, and personal meaning in society. Nora and Hedda consider that they can gain what they long for by releasing the bondage of their marriage. This arouse the curiousity of the writer, how Nora's and Hedda's self liberation can be achieved through the destruction of their marriage. Finally Nora comes to her realization of how her position is after hearing her husband's judgement toward her as an irresponsible wife and mother, while Hedda is aware of her dislike of living in a bourgeois environment. She wants to defend her dignity and gain her personal freedom back. Because of their position, both Nora and Hedda decide to achieve their self liberation eventhough they have to achieve it by sacrificing their marriage. The marriage destruction reveals that they are not dependent on men anymore, they do not want to be dominated by men, and they can reveal their own will and decision. They become true human beings who can follow their conscience and do what they want to do and to be what they want to be.

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